


Dumb Snowboarder Tries To Skateboard

by starrychaos



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Drabble, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This For Me, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kinda fluff, M/M, Not Beta Read, dumb skater boys, i suck at endings, its 5:30 and i haven’t slept, langa is a dumb boy, literally just skating, no beta we die like men, very open ended
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:15:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28749849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrychaos/pseuds/starrychaos
Summary: Langa wants to learn to skate and Reki happily teaches him. Langa learns he knows to skate and pretends he can’t. Reki knows all essentiallyordumb snowboarder tries to skateboard
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa & Kyan Reki, Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 80





	Dumb Snowboarder Tries To Skateboard

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this at 5:30 am instead of sleeping 
> 
> i know it’s not good but i also don’t care haha

When worlds collided, it wasn’t as universe shattering as Langa imagined something like that would be. He would've imagined fireworks or a singing number or something to make this moment stand out in his head.

However, it started with a simple request, “Get that board!” 

Langa obliged, quickly racing after the worn and battered skateboard for the other. He scooped it up with ease and half jogged back over to the red head, handing it over to his good hand. 

Reki was grateful, holding the board like his child as he smiled up to the taller, cool haired boy. 

“Thank you so much! I was scared I’d lose her forever.” 

Langa thought it was odd, being so attached to something that looked like it was one moment away from shattering, but he gave a tight lipped smile and nodded. 

“No problem.” 

“You’re the transfer student right?” Reki asked, realizing who his board’s savior was. “I’m Reki.” 

“I’m Langa.” Reki thought that would be the end of the conversation, but Langa surprised him by asking a question. “Isn’t that board a liability? Why would you care so much about it when you could just buy a new one?”

Reki frowned for a half second before he laughed, “You obviously don’t know what it’s like to skateboard. This board has been with me through all trails of learning how to be the skater I am today.” 

Langa gave a small ‘ah’, understanding the feeling the smaller boy felt. It wasn’t necessarily the board itself but the history that board and Reki experienced together. He felt the same for his snowboard. A tiniest wave of sorrow washed over him, remembering the fact that he’d never get to experience Canada’s snow again. Maybe someday he’d be able to go back, but for now his life was here with his mother, away from his childhood home.

He wondered what the snow would be like here. He wondered if there would be a place he could go when the weather chilled, a place to snowboard. A place where he could feel the wind in his face and hair, enveloping his body as he raced down a hill. His favorite part had always been the feeling of being completely free, drifting in and out of the treeline, sailing through the air if he got enough momentum. 

Langa didn’t realize he was just standing there, a concentrated look on his face. Reki quirked an eyebrow and held his board out, waiting for a response. 

“Huh?” Langa asked, looking at Reki. 

“I asked if you wanted to try.” 

“Oh. I don’t know how to skate.” Langa said, shrugging. 

Reki convinced him to at least try, which resulted in him falling as soon as he stood on it. 

“There is no way anyone can ride that.” Langa said, still on the ground. 

“Oh really?” Reki said, snatching the board up as he took a few strides away before jumping on. He went straight towards Langa, who was frozen in fear. This kid was obviously going to hit him directly in the face but in the moment he couldn’t move. He closed his eyes as the red head neared him, anticipating the pain that was surely coming. When it didn’t come, he opened his eyes to see Reki soaring above him and everything slowed. 

Fire met Ice and as Langa watched, he felt a wave of familiarity. Reki above him reminded him of back home, of being free, and it was that moment he knew he wanted to learn. 

When Reki landed he only went a few more feet forward before he stopped, popping the board up into his good hand as he laughed. Reki didn’t have the same world colliding feeling that Langa had experienced, for him he was just skating.

“You should’ve seen the look on your face! It was priceless!” He giggled as he returned to the other and offered a hand. 

Langa accepted it and stood, brushing debris from the ground off of his clothing. He said two little words that would change his life in Japan forever. 

“Teach me.” 

\---

Teaching Langa to skate was definitely a struggle for Reki. Sure, Langa had the potential but he was so in his head that he couldn’t get the hang of it. Reki himself had the determination to keep trying but Langa seemed to not have as much drive. 

After a few days of practice after school, Reki and Langa were eating dinner at the skatepark in silence. 

“I’m never going to get the hang of this.” Langa said defeatedly,as he set his meal to the side. He thudded back onto the concrete, his feet hanging over the edge of the rink. Reki kicked his feet deep in thought. 

“You’ll never get it with that attitude.” He looked out at the horizon, the sinking sun painting the skatepark in a beautiful shade of orange. “You can’t give up on something you really want. Did you ever have any hobbies back home?”

“I snowboarded. But it’s so different than skating. I don’t think I can do it.” Langa covered his face with his arms with a groan, leaving his midsection vulnerable. Reki poked his stomach harshly, causing Langa to jerk his arms down defensively. “What was that for?”

“Stop throwing a pity party and let’s get back to work.” 

The two threw their half eaten meals in the trash and resumed the lesson. 

They stayed out until the sun fully dipped into the ground, the only light coming from the dull street lights. They decided that was enough and began their trek back to their houses. On the way, neither talked, enjoying the comfortable silence and company as they walked slowly to their homes. 

Reki’s family was more than aware of their son’s spontaneity and never expected him at a certain time. He still did his school work and job, so they couldn’t complain. 

Langa on the other hand, knew his mother would worry and perhaps that’s part of the reason he slowed his pace a little. He wanted to enjoy the calm a little longer before he would play 20 questions with an expectant parent. 

Reki paused as they approached his home. He turned and smiled, giving a quick wave. 

“Tomorrow we’ll get you a board of your own!” Reki assured him before departing. 

Langa smiled the rest of the walk home. He was just happy he had someone to talk to, it was a worry of his (and his mother) when they moved here. The rest of his walk he was on autopilot. Something clicked for him right before they finished the lesson and he wanted to test it by himself in case he was dead wrong. He didn’t want Reki to watch if he failed miserably (again), but he had a hunch that skateboarding and snowboarding might be more similar than he previously thought. 

He entered his home and was bombarded by questions like he predicted. He explained he was fine and he was out with his friend from school, which made his mom smile proudly. She didn’t have much to say after that so Langa made his way to his room, but before he could actually go in his mom chirped from the kitchen. 

“You’ll have to invite him over for dinner sometime soon! I want to meet who has been so welcoming to my baby.” 

Langa didn’t have a good reason to say no so he simply nodded and said good night. 

School flew by, like it had been for the past few days. He felt jittery to get his own board. Meeting with Reki in their usual spot, they walked to Rekis work. Reki led him to the back and began ranting about everything he knew about boards. 

Langa was impressed how much the other knew but somehow he wasn’t surprised. Even when the kid was supposed to be focusing on class work he would be sketching or writing about skateboarding. 

Langa let him speak as he continued working, and only gave input when it came to the look of his board. When it was finished Reki held it out for Langa to take, which he of course obliged. 

He then realized that he didn’t think this through the whole way. Even though he did truly want his own board, he didn’t have the money to afford one. An embarrassed blush dusted his cheeks as he spoke. 

“How much is it? I hate to say this but I don’t have a lot of spare money. Thank you for the offer but I don’t think I can accept this.” Langa began passing the board back.

Reki looked offended, shaking his head as he spoke. “What? No. It’s a gift.” He spoke dramatically, crossing his arms into an x to signal he wouldn’t take the board.

“You can’t be serious.” Langa said dumbfounded. The red head couldn’t possibly just give him a board, he looked at the prices when they walked in and they aren’t necessarily cheap. 

“I’m still learning to make boards, for all we know it could just break. It’ll be a good test to see how I did.” Reki assured with a shrug. 

“You can’t be serious.” Langa repeated, though for a different reason this time. What are the odds Reki’s board making was so awful that Langa ended up getting hurt? He hoped it was low. 

Reki had to finish up a few things before he could leave, so he offered to just meet Langa in an hour or so at the park. Langa was eager to accept, excited to see if his theory was right. 

Langa held the board carefully, as if afraid to break his precious cargo. He arrived at the rink and only a few people were there, so he picked an empty rink and camped out. He set the board gingerly on the ground and placed one foot on top, letting it roll back and forth. 

He inhaled before lifting his other foot and doing a little adjusting until he was standing like on a snowboard. He closed his eyes and tried to wiggle forward, imagining he was on the snow. 

After a few seconds of nothing happening, he realized he wasn’t producing any momentum to move. He crouched and scooted his way to the edge of the rink, standing carefully. He balanced for a moment before leaning forward, finally taking the plunge into the large rink. 

He was right about it being similar, and with that knowledge in his mind, he did so much better. He went back and forth a few times, going all the way to the top and pausing before going back down. Finally he took a pause and stopped at the bottom. He bent over and picked up his board before climbing out. 

Looking at his phone, he saw the time had passed and Reki should be here any minute. 

A voice in the back of his head told him to not tell Reki his discovery. If he was just magically great at skateboarding, what if Reki wouldn’t want to hang out everyday like they had been? Langa didn’t want to be like this but he enjoyed how he felt around Reki too much to want to share what he discovered. 

He considered them opposites, not only in appearance but personality. Reki was a powder keg about to explode, almost overflowing with energy and potential. Langa considered himself more like the snow; quiet, distant, calm. 

Being lost in thought again, Langa didn’t hear the other boys calls for him. He didn’t even notice he had joined him until Reki tapped his shoulder. 

“Earth to Langa!” Reki joked, smiling brightly. “You get to ride it yet?” 

“I… tried, but I’m still not very good.” Langa lied through his teeth with a smile that sold the whole thing. 

“Oh.” Reki gave a small frown, scratching the back of his head. “Are you ready to practice again?” 

“Definitely.” 

The pair picked off where they left off previously, Langa trying his hardest to be just as bad as he was before. 

“I didn’t think it was possible but I think you’re getting worse!” Reki teased, trying to figure out why Langa seemed to be taking one step forward and two steps back in his practices. 

This sort of ritual continued for another week. They’d practice, get food and walk home together every day. 

On days where Langa completely sucked, Reki would be patient, or at least as patient as the spunky teen could be. He was truly a great teacher and Langa felt bad for pretending to be as bad as he was. 

—-

The day Langa charade fell apart came quicker than he thought it would. Reki told Langa he would have a late work night and that he wouldn’t be able to teach him, so if he wanted he could practice on his own or just take a day off. Langa chose the first option. 

Langa had gone right after school and before he knew it it was already sunset. He was drenched in sweat and his legs were sore from pushing himself forward but he didn’t care. He felt free. 

He felt free until he heard Reki hollering his name, that is, then he was pretty sure his heart stopped. He had been caught red handed. 

“Langa!! You did it!” Reki cheered from the other side of the park. 

Langa wasn’t sure entirely what to do. Reki didn’t sound as mad as he thought he would. He just stared at Reki like a deer in headlights. 

Reki quickly ran over to the other side of the rink and jumped into Langas arms. 

“You did it!! I told you, you could do it!” 

“What?” 

“I saw you! All the practices finally paid off!” Reki deranged himself from Langa and noted the confused and sad expressions plastered on his face. “Langa.. what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, I’m just thankful i had a great teacher!” 

“While I would love to take credit for your skill, it was all you.” Reki said, smiling. 

“What do you mean?” Langa asked, frowning. 

“I saw you the day I made your board, I was so excited for you to skate that I asked to leave early.” The red head stared expectantly at the other, waiting for a response. 

“Oh.” Langa processed slowly, staring beyond Reki, towards another pair skateboarding on the other end of the park. “So you’ve know the whole time? Why didn’t you call me out for lying?” 

“I figured you would tell me eventually. Besides. I enjoyed spending time with you, and you trying to skate bad on purpose was hilarious.” Reki chuckled 

“I should’ve told you sooner, i’m sorry.” Langa apologized. 

“No.” 

“No?” 

“You don’t need to apologize. Whatever reason you had for not telling me doesn’t really matter to me. Bu, now that we both know you aren’t a shitty skater, let’s skate together okay?” 

—- 

When worlds collided, there wasn’t a big sign showing it had happened, but there was skateboarding


End file.
